At midnight tonight, half of NYC’s homebirth midwives will be illegal

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St. Vincent’s is closing. It’s a bad situation for many involved, the women who gave birth there, the other patients who received care there. No attempts at saving the hospital have worked.

Another result of the closure is that the NYC home birth midwives no longer have a back-up hospital or WPA (written practice agreement). They need this WPA, signed by a doctor, in order to practice in NY, even though those doctors have little to no involvement in their practice. St. Vincent’s was one of the only supportive hospitals in the city.

About half of the homebirth midwives in NYC have found other people to back them up–but the other half are stuck. At midnight tonight, they can no longer practice legally, despite the fact that they are licensed practitioners.

It’s a mess, and the NY government is not considering this an emergency because their patients can “just give birth in a hospital.”

We all know why this is unacceptable.

You can help. Take action today to put pressure on the NY State Department of Health:

YOU MUST ACT NOW to save the home birth option for New York Women:
Call:
  • 311
  • Wendy Saunders, Executive Deputy Commissioner for the NY State Department of Health, appointed by Governor Paterson. 518-474-8390
  • Larry Mokhiber, the Secretary of the Board of Midwifery (518-474-3817, extension 130)
And say….

With the closing of St. Vincent’s Hospital, half of the licensed, highly trained home birth midwives serving NYC have lost their Written Practice Agreement (WPA).   St Vincent’s was the only Hospital in the city supportive of a woman’s right to choose a home birth and willing to sign a WPA.  In the weeks since it’s announced closure, these midwives have reached out to hospitals and obstetricians all across the city looking for support, with no success.  Please help us to save the homebirth option in New York.

In response to the Slate abortion doula article

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So I was interviewed a few weeks ago by Marisa Meltzer (author of two books on feminism) for an article for Slate.com about abortion doulas.

The title is: What’s an Abortion Doula? They’re strangers who will hold your hand while you go under the knife.

To Marisa’s credit, there is a chance she had nothing to do with the title. I’ve written articles before where the title that was slapped on was one I had never seen.

But, that possibility aside, what a terrible title. The first part that pissed me off was “while you go under the knife.” What a sensationalist way to talk about abortion!!! Many of them don’t even involve “knives” or scalpels, as they are called by medical professionals. Most abortions are done using a manual vacuum aspirator, which uses a canula (long tube that suctions) not a knife. But the technicalities aside, it’s such a sensationalist way to talk about abortion. You’d think this might be an anti’s article about abortion doulas.

Then, she says this:

Even as a pro-choice feminist, when I heard about abortion doulas my first thought was: Are women really so fragile that they need to hire a complete stranger to hold their hand at the doctor’s?

Though I don’t share Doula Lori’s views, abortion doulas seemed a little unnecessary to me. Doulas don’t do anything during an abortion that a friend or clinic worker couldn’t do.

I can’t really understand how it can be feminist to say that women are FRAGILE if they need or want a support person during a medical procedure. Especially a medial procedure like an abortion or a birth. Let’s shame women for what they need! That’s totally feminist.

And if abortion doulas weren’t necessary (because a clinic worker or friend could play the role) then why are clinics in NYC banging down the doula project’s door? If these folks weren’t fulfilling a need they wouldn’t have a project. That’s the thing–the doctors and clinics like having the doulas there, and so do the women. That’s all that matters.

She ends the piece, thankfully, on a less dismissive note.

The success of the New York doula project has inspired women in other cities to mimic their efforts. There are groups in Asheville, N.C., Greensboro, N.C., and Seattle organizing abortion doulas, and the L.A. Doula Project will be opening in a clinic this spring. Pérez puts the whole thing into perspective for me with a story about her brother having emergency appendicitis. “I totally was his appendicitis doula,” she laughs. “My job is [to ask], ‘What can I do to make you feel better?’ ” What woman going through a fraught experience wouldn’t want that?

You can read the whole piece here. I’m glad that doulas who work across the spectrum of pregnancy are getting attention, but it’s frustrating not to be able to control the message.

More about the Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA)

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I got two emails last week from doulas wanting to share their experiences with CAPPA, which I had listed in the my doula trainings page, but don’t know much about. Their experiences are below. If you’ve trained with CAPPA, feel free to add your thoughts in the comments.

From Olivia:

Hi! I saw your post wanting info about CAPPA and wanted to tell you my experience. In 2007 I trained with CAPPA and was blown away. I investigated several organizations, some of whom I felt made it difficult to become and stay certified. CAPPA training was comprehensive, interactive and fun. I learned far more than thought I would and walked away with an understanding of how to best support women. CAPPA offers a free conference each year to its members making it affordable to stay up on CEUs required for recertification. We have an email list, the biggest interactive Facebook page of any childbirth organization and a sisterhood like no other. I can send an email out and get a reply immediately.

CAPPA members take an active role in running the organization. We are run by members who have an interest in how CAPPA functions.

From Angie:

Hi…I have been a member of CAPPA since 2007, I became a certified Labor Doula through CAPPA in 2007 and now I am a faculty member and teach trainings in Arkansas.

Cappa is a wonderful organization, there is a leadership board, standards of professionalism, scope of practice and very organized. I went through an intensive workshop for training 3 days long that taught me all the background education on a woman’s body and the natural birth process what it means to be a doula and how as a doula you can help birth moms have a wonderful birth experience and how to educate them on birth options, and planning and help them carry these out. Many well renowned birth guru’s are part of CAPPA’s faculty and leadership such as Barbara Harper, Ina May Gaskins, Jack Newman, MD, Polly Perez, and many more. I believe most birth organizations have similar goals to better educate, advocate and help moms to realize that natural birth is normal, and better for her and the baby, and support her in her choices that she wants.

My workshops are usually 3 days, very intensive with hands-on skills and support. I follow-up with the participants and help them achieve certification any way I can. Also CAPPA has an annual conference that is FREE with great well known speakers and you get CEUs.

Arizona governor signs racist anti-immigrant bill into law

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I just had to comment on this news today, which is that Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into law just a few hours ago a bill that essentially mandates the racial profiling of immigrants.

President Obama is against the bill (thankfully), but that doesn’t mean it won’t immediately and negatively impact folks living in Arizona.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed a state bill Friday that requires police to determine whether a person is in the United States legally, which critics say will foster racial profiling and discrimination but supporters say will crack down on illegal immigration.

As a Latina and a child of immigrant parents, it is so upsetting to see folks in Arizona have their rights and lives trampled on in this way.

The way that immigrants are criminalized in this country is outrageous.

New anthology for genderqueer/trans practitioners

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Sinclair alerted me to this new anthology that is being compiled, meant for genderqueer/trans practitioners to talk about working with genderqueer and trans folks. How awesome is that?

The time has come. Jacoby Ballard (trans health educator, herbalist and yoga instructor) and Devynn Emory (trans health educator, healer, massage therapist) are preparing an anthology about the vast and varied approaches to trans healthcare.  This collection will include excerpts written only by gendervariant, genderqueer and trans practitioners/providers; we are often written about, but rarely get to represent our own communities, wellbeing, and healthcare. This anthology is a resource for both healthcare providers and the trans and gendervariant community that includes first hand experiences of what its like to work with the community, information to empower trans people about our own bodies, facts and tips on how to get the healthcare you need in a safe environment, and will offer insight to other practitioners about what questions arise in our work with trans and gendervariant people and how we approach or resolve such questions. Our goal is to open up the conversation of trans healthcare to include more than just the medical system, and to integrate other issues that inevitably affect our bodies and wellbeing, such as legal issues, the prison industrial complex, trauma and abuse, and more.

So they don’t mention doulas specifically, but I think it would be amazing to have some genderqueer and/or trans doulas submit something.

So go to it folks! The details are here.

Radical Doula Profiles: Patrice A. London

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This is a series highlighting folks who identify as Radical Doulas. Are you interested in being part of the series? Email me.

Photo of Patrice, smiling in a treePatrice A. London is this week’s Radical Doula.

A self proclaimed “birth junkie”, Patrice A. London is a Washington, DC native now residing in New Jersey, Patrice A. London is a wife, Christian unschooling mother of 3 lovely little ladies, a classically trained coloratura soprano, certified birth doula (BAI), Placenta encapsulation specialist, and the author of Empowered To Birth Naturally: One Woman’s Journey to Homebirth. Patrice is a graduate of Duke Ellington School of the Arts (vocal music) and Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, FL holding a BA in Speech Communication.

Website: http://www.empoweredtobirthnaturally.com

What inspired you to become a doula?

Unsatisfied by my first birthing experience, (I wanted a completely natural birth and didn’t get it) I am determined to help others who want a natural birth. My goal is to help women make informed decisions and not just “do as they’re told”. Having given birth to my children in the hospital, birth center and at home, I feel I have a unique understanding of how birth can unfold in all 3 places from my personal experiences. I’d love to see every woman have as enjoyable a birth as I had with my last two children. It really excites me to help a first time mom to have a great birthing experience because I know she’s escaped what I endured my first time around.

What is your doula philosophy and how does it fit into your broader political beliefs?

My philosophy is to empower women. I feel that women are all too often abused during their pregnancy, labor and birth and I’d like to help empower women to make informed decisions and take back their birth! I always encourage my clients saying, “This is your birth”. Obviously if problems arise everyone acts accordingly but in the end, she’s not just “going with the flow”, she’s in charge.

Not “going with the flow” is most definitely how I live my life. I come from a conventional home and upbringing but as an adult, I’m anything but conventional, lol! I’m the Pisces that swims against the current with my different practices from not traditional homeschooling but unschooling, home birthing, baby wearing, extended breastfeeding, non- vaxing, using aromatherapy, homeopathy and herbs for medicinal purposes and so much more. My husband calls me a tree hugger, lol!

Continue reading →

Blogging Yes Means Yes: Sexual violence and immigrant women

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Judith over at A Lesbian and A Scholar has been blogging the anthology Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape this month.

Last week she blogged about my essay, When Sexual Autonomy isn’t Enough: Sexual Violence Against Immigrant Women.

Today I read Miriam Zoila Pérez’s essay, “When Sexual Autonomy Isn’t Enough: Sexual Violence Against Immigrant Women in the United States” for day eleven of the Blogging “Yes” project.  You may know Miriam from Feministing, or from her own blog, Radical Doula.  She’s one of my favorite bloggers out there, and in this essay she sheds light on an important issue, namely sexual violence faced by immigrant women. I also want to recommend a related blog post on Feministe written by brownfemipower, Confronting Citizenship in Sexual Assault.

The violence faced by immigrant women, both institutional and interpersonal, is a serious problem in the US. The essay I wrote only skimmed the surface of the issues at hand, but there is a large body of work and activism out there focused on this intersection.

Check out the rest of Judith’s post about my essay here.

DONA Doulas of Color Trainer fellowship program

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There has been a lot of discussion on this site about trainings, certification and the various organizations that provide them.

What folks often remind me though, is that the best way to change the trainings is to run them yourself! In that spirit, Tara sent me this info about the 2010 DONA Doulas of Color trainer workshop fellowship program.

I’m also glad to see that DONA is working on improving their lack of diversity, which is a serious issue.

Basically, if you’re accepted, you get a free DONA doula trainer workshop being offered this August in New Mexico, as well as attendance at the DONA conference.

The DONA International Doulas of Color Trainer Workshop Fellowship Program is an initiative to identify women of color in the United States who would train to become DONA International approved birth or postpartum doula trainers. This Program seeks to increase DONA International’s trainer diversity so that workshops in the United States are facilitated in the most culturally appropriate manner. Additionally, this Program seeks to support individuals wishing to create labor and postpartum support programs within their own communities.

The requirements are intense (as is typical of DONA) but it might be perfect for some radical doula out there who wants to get trained and shake things up from the inside.

Info available in this PDF.

New Jersey community doula fellowship seeks would-be doulas

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Jill Wodnick alerted me to a new community doula program in New Jersey that is looking for folks who want to become doulas.

In exchange for three volunteer doula births for women in need in Hudson County, NJ, you get access to a free doula training (provided by DONA) and what sounds like some great supplemental trainings.

The Hudson Perinatal Doula Fellowship runs June 21-August 16, 2010. Applications are being accepted immediately on a rolling basis and can be downloaded at www.hudsonperinatal.org. The fellowship is open to 25 women who commit to the responsibilities and goals of program.

In addition to the DONA Doula Training dates, required by DONA International which are four full days, 8:30 am-6 pm June 21-24, 2010, the women accepted into the Doula Fellowship will further commit to complete all supplementary cross-training components of the program. Supplementary trainings will take place from June 28-August 16, 2010 for approximately 6 hours per week. Attendance is necessary and required.

In addition to the cross-training workshop attendance and the required reading materials, Fellows will commit to provide birth doula care to three expectant women who are clients of Hudson Perinatal Consortium, and attend those three births in Hudson County birthing facilities by December 1, 2010.

Interested? Download the PDF with all the details.

Access to homebirth in NYC put at risk by closing of St. Vincent’s hospital

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For a few months now, news has been circulating that St. Vincent’s, a Catholic hospital in NYC’s Lower East Side West Village was facing closure due to crippling debt.

It’s a Catholic hospital, which means no abortion procedures, no emergency contraception, and probably some other shitty anti-choice practices as well.

But it’s also one of the best hospitals for birth in NYC. Not only has St. Vincent’s been the back up hospital for most NYC home birth midwives, it’s also done a lot over the last year and a half to reduce c-sections and improve conditions. Doulas, midwives and VBACs were supported by the labor and delivery ward there.

Well now it seems the closing is definite.

It’s not just NYC that facing this kind of problem–in Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital is also facing potential closure. It’s a hospital that serves many un and under-insured patients in the Miami area, and also has relationships with midwives.

For a movement that wants to get birth out of the hospital, you’d think we’d be happy to have hospitals closing. But we need hospitals as back-ups for home and birthing center births. Also why is it always the birth friendly hospitals and centers that get shut down? I wonder if not doing enough c-sections is bad for the profit margins.

Sigh.

If you want to take action in NYC, check out Choices in Childbirth for petitions and actions.